


Deaf is not a disability

by casey_sms (shinygreenwords), shinygreenwords



Category: The Social Network
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: tsn_kinkmeme, Deaf Character, Disability, First Meetings, Gen, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-19
Updated: 2011-02-19
Packaged: 2017-10-15 18:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/163699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinygreenwords/pseuds/casey_sms, https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinygreenwords/pseuds/shinygreenwords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Mark is excellent at lip reading as he is with everything.</i></p><p>For <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/tsn_kinkmeme/1522.html?thread=3115762#t3115762">this prompt</a> at <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/tsn_kinkmeme/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://community.livejournal.com/tsn_kinkmeme/"><b>tsn_kinkmeme</b></a>: "tl;dr: mark is deaf; eduardo is either with him through harvard or as an  investor, learns to sign so that he can talk with mark in mark's  language."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deaf is not a disability

**Author's Note:**

> Cleaned up and omg it was [](http://thisissirius.livejournal.com/profile)[**thisissirius**](http://thisissirius.livejournal.com/) 's prompt. She totally deserves a longer fill. This fandom is so awesome it makes me want to run around like a headless chicken.

Mark is excellent at lip reading as he is with everything. Except when the bastard covers his mouth or turns away. Then he just stops trying because anyone who is stupid enough to do that really doesn't _deserve_ his attention. He’s not going to ask them to face him properly – nicely or otherwise. He has better things to do.

This one investor is obviously Talking Slowly to Mark and it's really fucking annoying. It actually makes lip reading more frustrating. (At least he's sort of communicating to Mark. There was this one guy who talked to Chris and refused to talk to Mark like Mark wasn't even there. It riled Chris up so much that Chris actually called him out on it and snapped, "He's deaf not dead.")

"Does. He. Understand. What. I'm. Saying?"

Mark blinks. Chris has the frantic "please don't get offended Mark" exasperated look (Mark has lost count of how many variations of 'just let it go' Chris has given him). Dustin is trying not to giggle (one day Mark will tell him that covering his mouth has zero effect).

The guy is now repeating himself. He's kind of waving his hands in Mark's face. (Mark gets some glee from the fact he looks like a moron.) "Well. What does he think?"

Oh. So he can talk at normal speed to normal people.

Mark ignores him and signs to Chris. He can do the not-talking-to-you thing too. *The guy is a douchebag, I don't want to work with him.*

Chris glares at Mark and then at the guy. "You can talk to Mark."

The guy says, "It must be so hard to have a disability."

"He isn't disabled. He's differently-abled," Chris corrects.

Mark rolls his eyes. He doesn't give a shit what people call it. It gives him a reason to pretend not to know. Or listen to people. Or to flip the finger at people just to shock them. Yes, I did 'hear' that you dick. Outright picking on the disabled is tacky so he gets away with it. Mark picks right back on them. Honestly, he's rather glad he doesn't have to hear all the shit going on around him. It'd drive him crazy.

"Of course," the guy stammers under the force of Chris intense scrutiny but he obviously resents being corrected.

The meeting ends shortly after that. Chris looks at his planner and he almost wants to cry when he realizes that there's another guy next.

Mark shakes his head. *I'm done*, he signs and makes to walk off.

The thing with deaf people is you can't yell after them. Chris swears that Mark uses it to his advantage. Mark always gets the last word. Chris has tried standing in front of him but if Mark closes his eyes, there's nothing he can do but wait it out.

Chris has to try. "Mark, stop. Please."

Mark does.

Chris is sighing with his whole body. He hurries on because he has to make the most of getting Mark's attention. "You know Mark, you can't keep running off investors. We need more funding for Facebook. I know you've worked hard on this. We've worked hard on it. You can't let those ignorant assholes put you off your goal. Just one more. If he's an ignorant asshole, I promise. But please, do this for Facebook. For us."

Dustin is sitting across the table from Mark like a puppy.

Mark narrows his eyes. *I know what you're doing.*

"Is it working?"

Mark gives the tiniest jerk of his head before sitting down. Dustin whoops. Chris's relief is more refined.

"Erica, send him in."

Chris prays fervently that the Eduardo Saverin on file will not be an ignorant asshole. Please, he thinks, it has to get better.

Eduardo walks in smooth three piece suit. "Eduardo Saverin," he says extending a hand to Chris. “I’m very interested in working with you.” He coughs. “With you all, I mean.”

Chris’s heart drops. He shakes his hand. “Pleased to meet you,” he grinds out. “Chris Hughes. Let me introduce you to Dustin Moskovitv and Mark Zuckerberg.”

Eduardo turns red. “I’m sorry. I thought you were Mark.”

Mark sits sullenly with his arms crossed, pointedly not paying attention.

“Mark?” Chris says, laying a hand on Mark’s arm.

Mark continues to look out the window even though there’s nothing much to see.

“May I?” Eduardo asks.

Chris nods cautiously. The blond man holds his breath when he sees that Eduardo intends to touch Mark.

Eduardo puts a gentle hand on Mark’s shoulder.

Chris is relieved because Mark hates being shaken.

Mark is surprised, looking Eduardo in the eye.

Eduardo signs while saying, “I’m sorry.”

Mark nods and the corner of his mouth twitches into the ghost of a smile.

“You sign?” Chris says, trying not to sound too excited.

Eduardo grins sheepishly. “Only the basics but I’m willing to learn.”

“We’re keeping him,” Dustin announces.

Chris is relieved when Eduardo smiles shyly. 


End file.
